Emma Raducanu will compete in the Wimbledon third round for the second time in a career after two comfortable wins. Alongside her singles duties, the young star will enter the mixed doubles draw with the retiring legend Andy Murray. Despite having no experience in the doubles competition, Raducanu needed ten seconds to say yes to Murray, feeling honored to share the court with the two-time Wimbledon champion. Andy will not compete at the home Major in singles after failing to recover from a procedure on his back to remove a spinal cyst. The home crowd will get a chance to see him in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles, competing alongside his brother Jamie and Emma Raducanu in what will be his final appearance at the All England Club as a player.
Emma Raducanu, Wimbledon 2024© Francois Nel / Staff – Getty Images Sport
Raducanu felt great on the court during her second-round win over Elise Mertens, hoping for more good wins in the upcoming days. The young star kicked off her third Wimbledon campaign with a 7-6, 6-3 triumph over Mexico’s Renata Zarazua. Raducanu claimed a tight opener and overpowered her rival in the second set, sealing the deal in just under two hours. Emma stayed focused in the pivotal moments, fending off four out of five break points and shining in the tie break. The Briton stole the Mexican’s serve two times, doing enough to seal the deal in straight sets. The home player built an early lead in the opener before Zarazua pulled the break back and reached a tie break. Raducanu claimed all seven points, moving in front and gathering momentum.
Emma Raducanu, Wimbledon 2024© Clive Brunskill / Staff – Getty Images Sport
Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray will compete in the Wimbledon mixed doubles.
Emma survived a challenging game early in the second set and kept the pressure on the other side in the remaining games. The Briton grabbed a crucial break in the sixth game and created a match point on the return at 5-2. Renata denied it before Emma sealed the deal with a hold at love in game nine. The young Briton played even better versus Elise Mertens in the second round, notching a 6-1, 6-2 triumph in an hour and 15 minutes and preserving energy.
Emma Raducanu, Wimbledon 2024© Clive Brunskill / Staff – Getty Images Sport
The home star dropped 14 points behind the initial shot and defended two break points, mounting the pressure on the Belgian. Emma stole half of the return points and converted them into four return games from 13 opportunities. Raducanu raced into a 5-0 lead in the opening set and claimed it in under 40 minutes. The Briton barely lost a point on serve in the second set and pushed strong in three consecutive return games, taming her strokes nicely and outplaying the Mexican. She broke Zarazua in games three and five and held at 15 at 5-2 to book a place in the third round.
“I needed ten seconds to say yes. Some things are bigger than tennis itself, and this will be a lifetime memory for me. It was an honor to be asked to play alongside Andy,” Emma Raducanu said.
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